When I had my first pint of Guinness, I was 18 and drinking in a pub near the Tower of London. The barkeep smiled and assured me, "it's like black milk, lad." This is true comfort beer - lovely to look at, smooth in taste and mouthfeel, and a true "experience". As my palate has become more seasoned, I've found other beers more complex and tasty. For me, drinking Guinness is like remembering your first kiss. It's magic.

A-A normal pour produces just less than two fingers of grey-ish, light-tan head. The retention is pretty good and the head is creamy and dense. The beer is mostly black and opaque. No carbonation visible.

S-The aroma has a distinctive, almost lactic sugar note. There is a bit of dark fruit sweetness, some light roast flavor, but it is mostly watery and slightly astringent. Wet cardboard comes to mind.

T-The taste tracks the smell closely. I get a slightly metallic flavor, some vague watery bitterness, a bit of metallic malted grain, and a drying finish.

M-The carbonation is ultra creamy but the beer is lighter in heft with a watery aspect to it.

O-I am not one to rag on the other Guinness varieties, e.g., the Extra is pretty decent, but this version is a letdown. The look is right, but I could not get over the watery aspects of this beer-it smells watery, it tastes watery, and it feels watery. Oh well.